Why is it a good idea to avoid the comparison trap and why is it better to focus on our own milestones and improvement?
We are also going to learn about some of the interesting differences between male and female physiology and how it relates to performance and recovery.
We are also going to discuss why what someone else is doing may not be right for you. It all comes down to drawing inspiration from other people, but not doing comparisons. We also discuss why recovery is so important, and why a diet that is overly strict is not a good idea.
The guest today is Sarah Joyce. Sarah has a PhD in Sport Science, and she is the Editor-in-Chief of Women’s Running Australia. She is a runner, an established writer, and has a specialized knowledge of the female athlete.
Sarah put a lot of research into the study of differences between male and female athletes and focused on female athletes and the need for more specialized information.
Sarah focused on how female sex hormones affect performance and recovery. Hormonal fluctuations have a huge impact on women’s sport performance. These fluctuations also make the study very complex.
A novel finding she discovered was that men actually have higher estrogen levels than women on contraceptives. This was discovered by measuring hormone levels between men, women not on contraceptives, and women on contraceptives. It makes sense, because the introduction of synthetic hormones in contraceptives will suppress the natural production of estrogen.
Today’s topics include:
- Women respond differently to exercise, recovery, diet, and even drugs.
- Why hormonal fluctuations make studying women’s sports performance so difficult.
- Women on contraceptives with less natural estrogen respond more like men.
- Differences between how men and women respond to 3 hours of quad contractions.
- How Women’s Running uses real runners and not models on the cover.
- How to take it slow and enjoy your running achievements and milestones.
- Why recovery is so important and why lack of recovery is so damaging.
- With nutrition, balance is the key, avoid too much restriction.
- Understand the calculation of the hip-to-weight ration.
- Why it is good to take a break after a big race.
There are not only differences between the physiology of men and women, but each runner is on a different journey. Think positive about your body and point out strengths and forget the comparison trap.
“I think women have been ignored generally, because it’s just too hard”–Sarah
“As long as you’re in a healthy weight range and they’re happy it’s all that really matters.”–Sarah
“I’m still using my knowledge on the female athlete, but talking to more recreational runners through the magazine.”–Sarah
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Links and Resources from this Interview:
Interview of Katie from Runs For Cookies
Running Sticks
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